Do I Need a Realtor To Sell My House? Here Are The First Things You Should Consider
With 5.27 million homes on the market nationwide, there’s a lot to consider when selling your home. For some, FSBO, or “For sale by owner” is something that they consider. Well, before you list your home for sale, or start to scour the market for your new home, here are some of the things you should consider right away.
Do You Need a Real Estate Agent?
First and foremost, it’s strongly recommended that you work with an agent. The nuances and complexities that go into selling a home have led some to claim that it’s more stressful than getting divorced.
Ask your friends and family about their home-selling experience and find out if they were happy with the process. When you’re selecting your agent, ask them these 10 questions and make sure you are comfortable with their answers. You can also check out their reviews from recent clients to make sure they deliver what they promise.
Your agent is your friend. They are on your team. They will help you assess your home for sale and give your guidance and advice on how to stage your home to make the biggest impact.
Understanding your house through the eyes of a real estate professional is huge. Your opinion of clean or updated may differ from prospective buyers… and your agent will know what is important.
What are Buying Agent Fees and are They Worth It?
When a transaction takes place, there are a number of fees that are involved. Most of these are tied back to the value fo the home. Most often, the seller pays the commission for both the buyer and seller’s agents. While this is the most common setup, it doesn’t mean there aren’t exceptions.
At the time of closing, you may be charged a BAC, or Broker Administrative Charge which is usually between $300 and $700, but you need to be aware that fees vary by real estate agent. And as with many products, the fee may reflect the quality of service and results that you experience.
What’s Your Goal When Selling Your Home? Would You Like to Increase the Value?
Stop for a minute and ask yourself “why?” and “why?” again. Keep going five times to make sure you understand what your goals are. This exercise might sound trivial, but it will help you discover some of the goals you have for selling your house. We like to call this “The Five Whys of Real Estate.”
If you need some help brainstorming, here are some questions you might want to ask yourself:
- Why are you selling your home?
- When do you need to sell by?
- What do you love about your home?
- Have you performed any home improvement or upgrades in the last five years?
Is it Important to Know Your Finances Before You Sell Your Home?
Often the most intimidating part of selling your home is the financial aspect. How much do you owe? Is there a lien on your home? How much is in escrow? Will selling your home be profitable?
Selling your home doesn’t need to be expensive, and by working with an agent, you’ll know where to invest money to maximize the outcome.
Getting Ready to Sell Your House: A Checklist
All too often, sellers ask me for a checklist. In fact, “checklist for selling your house” is a heavily searched phrase in Google. There are important steps to take in order to get your house ready for sale, but there isn’t a one-size-fits-all list that you should be walking through.
The million-dollar question when getting your home ready to sell is is where to start, and where to stop?
If your agent can’t guide you through how to stage a home, and what you need to do, then you might have the wrong agent. Non-negotiable tasks include cleaning, carpeting, painting and decluttering. This is because a dated clean house is always going to sell quicker than a messy house with some updates.
Your pre-sell checklist should prioritize granite countertops over a furnace upgrade as that visual is going to really win someone over.
You Are Ready to Sell Your Home as Soon as You Decide It’s Time to Sell
Don’t worry about how different seasons could affect the sale of your home or where to start staging. Choose an experienced and reputable agent to hold your hand along the way. Need some help choosing?
Give us a call and we’ll help guide you along the way.
